Vans, Cars and Leasing

It’s the most stylish Subaru ever! And this striking Impreza coupé will go into production in 2010.

Joining the recently launched hatch-back model, it will allow the Japanese company to tackle the BMW 3-Series Coupé and Nissan 350Z head-on, as well as reach out to new customers.

The car has been developed as part of a joint venture with Subaru owner Toyota – the project will also spawn a long-awaited successor to the Nine-ties Celica. The Impreza coupé takes styling cues from the five-door model, but gets a rakish rear end. That gives it a chunky yet athletic appearance which stands out from the crowd.

Power will come from a choice of two engines, both employing the flat-four boxer layout for which Subaru is famous. There’s a normally aspirated 2.0-litre unit giving around 180bhp, or a high-performance 2.5-litre turbo powerplant borrowed from the range-topping five-door STi. The latter will deliver in the region of 300bhp.

For the entry-level machine, the Impreza’s four-wheel-drive system will be dropped in favour of a more lightweight and less expensive rear-drive set-up. That will put the emphasis on maximum driving thrills. But the more powerful car will send power to four tyres to harness all that punch.

The newcomer will go on sale first in Japan and the US, and could arrive here in the UK in 2011. In entry-level guise, it’s set to cost around £20,000, with the flagship priced at £25,000.

In a related story, Nissan is working on an affordable rear-wheel-drive coupé to sit below the 350Z. The Silvia replacement will go on sale in 2010.

Although the Fiat Punto is rather small – a bit less than one hundred and sixty inches in length – the small, stylish details like head lamps which sweep back and chic, chunky door handles, the car does not seem small at all. Quite the contrary, with its flourishing front end, its sides which are rather sporty and cool, and the neat but solid and stolid rear end, the Fiat Punto is a car quite unlike any other of its kind.

Inside, the Fiat Punto’s interior is comprised of hard, sleek, and durable plastics, with a very handsome matte finish which not only keeps it from being too boring and austere and instead turns it into something stylish and really rather chic. This vision is continued with the exquisitely precise panels and the perfect way they line up; it is evocative of a decidedly Swiss sense of order and clean, concise design.

Furthermore, the Fiat Punto is a beautifully urbanised vehicle, designed for city streets in addition to country drives. Nevertheless, the seats are extraordinarily comfortable, to the point that they practically beg to be sat in during longer drives and road trips. The driver’s seat features a choice of manual adjustments. The designers of the Fiat Punto also know the value of spatial economy: there is ample space for both the driver and the passenger in the front; in the back, the rear seats can seat two full grown adults with plenty of room left over – and three full grown adults while still offering a wealth of shoulder room and leg room. Morever, the hatchback has plenty of room for cargo and storage.

The Fiat Punto’s driving capability has actually been referred to as a masterpiece. The engine is a peppy, revving little creature. Despite the fact that the engine features seventy seven horsepower and two valves per cylinder, the Fiat Punto has also been called a mini Ferrari and really, who can ask for a better experience than that?

There is the option for a Duo-drive semi automatic transmission with a five speed manual transmission that is controlled by a computer, and the clutch is under the hood. When left to its own devices in straight automatic mode, the driver need not do anything – the car takes care of it all.

As a matter of fact, both critics and drivers alike insist that the Fiat Punto is the closest that one can get to driving a manual transmission while actually driving a vehicle with an automatic transmission. The gears change practically instantaneously, and they shift quickly and smoothly. Reverse is excellent, neutral actually has a purchase, and when drivers accelerate while the car is standing still, they will even feel a thrilling little purr of vibrations.

The Fiat Punto was ideally designed for excellent driving in European cities, and while it can handle country roads and back roads just as beautifully, it is perfect for city driving, thanks to the light touch, electronic speed, sensitive steering system. The steering tightens itself up a bit when drivers reach higher and faster speeds, making for all the necessary control. The Fiat Punto also knows how to take a tight curve like an expert.

The Fiat Punto’s suspension system is extraordinarily comfortable. In the city, even the standard Fiat Punto takes the typical city abuses like they were nothing at all, thus continuing its whole fun factor. All in all, the Fiat Punto is a car that is extremely easy to manage, has a whopping, impressive engine, a rip roaringly excellent transmission, exquisite handling, and an enviable fuel economy, making it both environmentally friendly and a great time to drive, all at the same time.

Written on behalf of Total Fleet Services
Fiat Contract Hire - Fiat Punto Leasing